ASHLYN Blackstock broke a 23-year-old meet record and completely annihilated her competition to win gold in the 15 years girls discuss at the NSW Combined High Schools Athletics Championships last week.
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The Belmont North thrower broke her own personal record twice during the event, notching a new personal best with a throw of 49.34 metres.
What's more, she did it under significant stress, having come down sick on the last day of competition.
Early in the three-day meet, Blackstock won the 15 years shot put. It was a discipline she had been forced to focus on less this season due to injuries and while she wasn't stoked with her performance, she still walked away with a gold medal.
Then on the morning of the discuss, the 15-year-old said she woke feeling ill and was not at all expecting to break any records.
"I woke up on the Friday and I felt awful," she said.
"My throat was sore, I was exhausted and I couldn't really speak well. I got there and was talking to the girls and said, 'I just want throw and then go home ande sleep'.
"I did my first couple of throws, and as soon I let go of the discuss I just knew I was on top of it. That I had it."
While Blackstock, who is in year 10 at Belmont High School and trains under Gerry Targett, had thrown 49 metres in training, Friday's throw was the first time she had hit it in competition. She said it was lucky it landed.
"I'd thrown the big one and it was going down the right-hand side," Blackstock said.
"It went down there the whole time and I was watching it and I was like, 'please turn in, please don't foul' and right at the last minute it curved in. I was really excited."
The phenomenal throw was an amazing eight metres longer than the throw of the girl who finished second. Its understood the distance would rank Blackstock 17th in the International Association of Athletics Federations under-18 women's rankings.
Another Gerry Targett-trained thrower, Swansea High School's Bella Ferfoglia, claimed silver in the 17 years girls shot put and bronze in the discuss.
A host of track and field athletes represented Hunter School Sports Association at the NSW Combined High Schools Athletics Championships held over three days at Sydney Athletic Centre in Olympic Park last week.
Sam Taylor from Newcastle High School won gold in the boys 17-19 years long jump. Toronto High's Luke Young won gold in the boys 16 -19 years 3000m.
Dungog High School's Jesse Tindall won gold in the boys 16 years high jump.
Shari Hurdman of Tomaree High finished first in the girls 12 years 200m. Tom March of Swansea High won gold in the boys 16 years 800m. Merewether High's Sarah Pickering won gold in the girls 16 years 800m and bronze in the 1500m.
Hannah Jarvis of Hunter Sports High (HSH) was first in the girls 13 years 800m. Jack Kenny of Tomaree High won the boys 16 years javelin. Jessica Richardson of Merewether High won gold in the girls 16 years shot put.
Jassmin Daymond of HSH finished second in the girls 12 years high jump. Merewether High's Jessica Richardson took silver in the girls 16 years javelin. Eben Luyke of Singleton High claimed silver in the boys 16 years shot put and javelin.
Jai Callaghan from HSH was second in the boys 12 years long jump. Jai MacPherson, also of HSH, was second in the boys 16 years 200m. Georgia Munro of Warners Bay High took silver in the girls 16 years 200m. Abbey Bowditch of Warners Bay High took second in the girls 17-19 long jump. Sukontha Vaenkwaen of West Wallsend High was second in the girls 14 years long jump.
Some results were still to be published on Monday.
JUNIOR RUGBY GRAND FINALS
Hunter Junior Rugby Union held its grand finals in Nelson Bay last Saturday.
Seven grand finals were held on the day with Maitland taking out three age groups. Full results:
- Under 10s - Merewether Carlton 14 defeated Maitland Black 7.
- Under 11s - Maitland 19 beat Maitland Black 14.
- Under 12s - Maitland Black 31 defeated Nelson Bay 12.
- Under 13s - Nelson Bay 26 defeated Wanderers 21.
- Under 14s - Merewether Carlton 24 defeated The Waratahs/Wanderers 17.
- Under 15s - Lake Macquarie 36 beat Maitland 12.
- Under 16s - Maitland Black 15 beat Merewether 7.